Apparently
by bookw0rmy
Summary: Nico is feeling down thanks to the big mouths of his fellow campers and someone finds him and doesn't help.
1. In which Nico can't help it

It was a hot summer day at Camp Half Blood. Well at least for Nico, although the air was regulated in camp boundaries Nico still thought it was hot. Things were going so slow until the big incident had occurred. Now Nico was just walking around in the dense forest full of Gods know what. Well they probably do, but whatever. Nico kept walking. He couldn't believe the events that had transpired today. Why was it so hot? He hated heat. He hated the sun beating down on his pale skin. He hated that this weather made him so grumpy and no one likes a grumpy Nico. He kicked a stick, "Stupid Stick", he muttered.

So he was already in a bad mood when it had happened. _Stupid camp, stupid gossip_ was all Nico could think about. Well, and another person, but after today things wouldn't be the same, ever. Nico smiled at past memories and emotions, but caught himself and frowned. There was no use to dwell. Nico decided then to pay attention to the forest. The sounds were quite comforting, if not eerie. The birds sang. The scary creatures lurked. The twigs snapped.

The twigs snapped? Nico stopped walking and there it was again. He wasn't afraid of fighting monsters, but he'd rather not. It was too hot. Just as Nico was going to pull out his sword he stopped. He saw a person and not just any person. Nico relaxed, slightly, and wished it had indeed been a monster. He began to walk again, and maybe said person would leave Nico alone.

"Nico?" A timid voice called out. Nico, of course, knew whose voice it was. He didn't turn back. It was for the better. He kept walking.

"Nico!" The voice called out once more this time steady and annoyed. Nico turned to face the boy that was standing behind him not more than four feet away. How he wished he hadn't. Ironically, the boy had just arrived for Nico to stop in a clearing and the sun fell on the boy's skin ever so nicely, at least in Nico's eyes. The light shimmered off the thin sheen of sweat that passed down the boy's arm muscles. Nico looked at the boy in the orange camp shirt and wondered why his shirt didn't fit him quite that nicely. The boy wasn't built, but he had muscles that were there. He had the lines, the cuts. Nico took in the boy's dark, perfect, hair and finally looked into the sea blue eyes that were Percy's.

"May I help you?" Nico said with his usual sarcastic tone. Percy looked at him and smiled slightly. Percy was just far too happy. Even so, Nico felt his poor heart speed up and his skin start to tingle. That smile could melt glaciers on the coldest days, and well it wasn't doing Nico any good the state he was in. Percy walked up, closer, to Nico. Why was he even here? Percy sighed and rubbed the back of his neck with lack of controlled awkwardness.

"Nico," Percy started as said boy started to turn to leave. If he wanted to be awkward that was all the confirmation that Nico needed. "Wait! Look I know this isn't easy, but you know I don't want anything to change. You mean a lot to me and I wouldn't want to lose you. You really mean a lot." Percy finished and looked at Nico straight in the eyes. Those dark eyes.

Percy's eyes were smoldering Nico's. All Nico could think about was the fact that he wanted to be as close to Percy as possible. Percy took Nico's arm, but Nico shrugged him away. Sadness crashed over Nico as he knew what he had to say, but it had to be done, or he would hate himself even more later. He loved Percy he really did.

"Apparently not enough." Nico muttered his dark hair falling in his face as he pulled his eye's away from Percy's and continued to walk away deeper and deeper into the shadow's of the forest.


	2. Son of a sea god

**This chapter is most definitely for the people that reviewed both of my Percy/Nico stories. If you haven't read the other you should check it out. Anyways, sorry for the wait and the maybe typos. I'm still really insecure about my writing skills! Also XTheSonofHadesX, thank you for pushing me to continue both stories! Now onward! - $.**

* * *

Percy stood in the clearing watching Nico wander off into the forest and didn't know what to do in this type of situation. He didn't exactly take a class on Trying To Figure Out Your Bestfriend's Darkest Secret and why it was so horrid that he wouldn't even talk to him. How was he supposed to feel that his best friend was keeping a huge secret from him and he wasn't supposed to know? Also, what the hell did Nico mean that he didn't care enough about him? Of course, he did! He cared more than that boy knew. That's why he wasn't angry that Nico was hiding some serious secret, because well Percy was too and it wasn't exactly something he wanted Nico to know either. Seriously though, Percy didn't have a clue about what was happening. All morning people kept giving him weird looks and whispering as he passed by around camp, which Percy immediately asked Annabeth what the reason was. After him and Annabeth grew apart based on mere fact that Percy didn't want a big extravegeant life of architecture and what not, and although they were still friends, he wouldn't go to her for such trivial things such as whispering gossip of camp, but he did and all she had done was say just to find Nico before he talked to anyone else, so knowing to listen to Annabeth, he did as he was told.

Percy sat down in the clearing, hugging his knees, knowing that eventually Nico would have to make his way back. He sat there and stared at the leaves on the trees that were always perfect in their bubble of Camp Half Blood. He loved it here. He loved the fact that he felt welcome here, that his friends were here, that Nico was here. Nico was an amazing person and Percy loved every second that he spent with the boy, so it came by no surprise to Percy that he had fallen in love with Nico. Yes, it was pretty hard to cope with considering the fact that he had been in a relationship at the time and trying to figure out if he wanted to continue being with Annabeth. In the end he knew he would hurt Annabeth by lying everyday further and finally he told her he didn't want her dreams to be his and that although he loved her, he wasn't in love with her anymore. She had been calm and asked him if he had developed feelings towards someone else. Percy not being the one to lie said that he had, but that nothing would ever come out of it. He had a feeling Annabeth had already known, because she laid her hand on his cheek and looked at him with her ever knowing eyes and nodded the nod that said she understood, then she walked off and resumed her camp life as if she had already came to peace that Percy and her were not going to work and that she probably knew more about his situation then she led on.

Ever since that day Percy had felt free to do as he pleased, yet at the same time he felt even more constrained. He wanted a hint of affection from Nico, but none were given. Percy would go over and intentionally put his arm around the boy, touch the boy's arm, and generally be around as much as possible, but Nico never said anything about it and he started becoming harder and harder to find. Then today came and all of a sudden Nico didn't think Percy even cared about him enough? What could've possibly have happened to get that reaction from the boy? Eventually Percy's mind worked him into a stupor of sleep and that's where Nico found him later that day.

Nico was walking back to camp after having walked off what he could of his anxiety of facing Percy and the camp. He couldn't help but have the horrible nagging in his head that said he should have listened to Percy. He should've. He should've. He should've stayed in the clearing and heard the boy out. Maybe Percy didn't know of this mornings latest gossip. That this morning Nico had been in his room sleeping ever so wonderfully and having a glorious dream about he and his bestfriend, Percy, of course. Nico was having the most erotic dream he ever had when a group of campers, including Annabeth, came to inspect Nico's cabin as part of routine and as soon as they stepped in the cabin they were greeted by a sleeping Nico moaning out Percy's name in climax, bliss, and pure love from a mere dream.

Nico woke up when he heard shushing coming from the gray-eyed girl herself to the other campers. He sat up straight on the bed still half asleep and not fully aware of what had just transpired, but as soon as he caught Annabeth's eyes he knew that he had done something horribly wrong. The other campers quickly left to start their rumors, but Annabeth stayed behind and made her way to Nico.

"Wait, um, hold on," Nico said looking down at himself. She turned the opposite way in the gesture of giving him some privacy. Nico did his best to clean himself up. "Okay." Annabeth approached Nico again and eyed him carefully and opened her mouth and closed it again.

"Does he know?" She asked. Nico shook his head. "You moaned his name as if you had already done it before." She stated. Nico shook his head, again. She sighed and looked at him with all the understanding in the world. "You know this might not be a bad thing." Nico looked at her quizzically and retorted, "What do you mean it couldn't be a bad thing? By the end of the morning Percy will know that I have homoerotic dreams about him! Not only that, but now everyone knows that I'm gay and not only am I now going to be 'Gay Nico', I'm going to be 'Gay Nico That Is In Love With Percy Jackson'."

"Nico, there's nothing that can be done! It's truly my fault. I should've knocked before coming in. If I see Percy I will make sure to tell him to see you before he talks to anyone." She took his hand in hers and half-smiled, "It'll be fine, it really will. Just go walk it off in the forest for a little, okay." He nodded and went off knowing that whatever Annabeth said to do was most likely the better of plans.

Thinking back on this morning it didn't seem to be a big deal, but Nico didn't want to be outed this way. He hadn't wanted Percy to find out this way, or maybe even ever. Yes, he loved Percy and had for a very long time. When he was with Annabeth Nico's heart nearly gave out everytime he had to endure a sight of a Percy/Annabeth kiss. Then they had broken up a few months ago and while Annabeth was perfectly fine sometimes Percy didn't seem okay. Nico felt that he missed her so much, that he needed to feel the void of loneliness with someone and that person had been Nico. Percy had been around all the time and it was so very hard to mask his love for the other boy at all hours of the day, especially when Percy was the sort of best friend that was lonely and needed constant contact and attention. Nico would think that sometimes when Percy absently put his arm around Nico or touched his arm that he accidentally forgot that Nico was Nico and not Annabeth. So, Nico had decided to strictly stay away from Percy as much as possible and by limiting himself to "Percy Time" he had steadily increased his need for Percy, which led to highly sexual tension, thus erotic dreams. In hindsight Nico thought that maybe the distance thing was not a good idea whatsoever.

Nico found himself in the clearing again and now the moon shone beautifully on the landscape, but what the moon really shone on was more beautiful than anything in Nico's world. In this moonlit paradise Nico found a sleeping Percy leaning on a tree. Nico made his way to the sleeping boy and sat next to him waiting for said boy to wake up from his slumber ready to face the truth. Ready to tell Percy everything. Willing to face the storm of pain and rejection if only he could speak once more with this wonderful son of a sea god.


	3. But what if

**Hello lovely readers! I've made a goal to write as much as possible per week! Three updates a week? Hmm, I don't know, but what I do know is that I kinda teared up while writing this. Anyways, I hope you enjoy and don't mind my awkward dialogue and obsession with holding hands.** **Also excuse typos! I did my best to fix them, but nobody's perfect. Enjoy and possibly review? Okay~**

* * *

Nico woke up with his head resting on Percy's shoulders and said boy's arms around him lightly squeezing him. The boy was still fast asleep and Nico wasn't sure whether or not he should move from the position he was in or just sit in the arms of the love of his life. He looked up at Percy and wondered how even someone merely sleeping could be so breathtakingly beautiful. He decided that he should slip out of the sleeping boy's arms. He didn't leave from the clearing, though. He just moved aside and braced himself for the upcoming wrath of his best friend when he finally awoke.

Percy started to stir after another few minutes or so of peaceful dreaming. He seemed to be seeking the loss of the warmth that was sitting next to him earlier in his dreams. He opened one eye the color of the ocean and Nico drew in a deep breath. The other eye soon opened afterwards and Percy wiped the sleep from his face smiling as he did so.

"Nico," Percy started. Nico looked down not able to meet Percy's wonderful eyes. "Please look at me. Come over here." Percy motioned with small hand gestures for Nico to sit next to him. As Nico sat next to the object of his affection his heart was beating so fast he thought he was going to have a heart attack right then and there. Percy smiled amused at the younger boy. The smile calmed Nico, but then again only made the situation worse as Percy's smile was one of the things that cause irrational thoughts to appear in Nico's head. Nico nodded, not fully trusting his voice, knowing that Percy understand that he wanted him to go on speaking.

"Well, what was wrong with you yesterday, man? Did I do something wrong?" Percy questioned not being able to hide the hurt in his voice. Nico shook his head not understanding why Percy was being so worried. Yes, they were best friends but nothing else. Percy looked at the son of Hades with a confused and impatient look. "Well what is it, Nico! You had me thinking that you didn't want to be my friend anymore and…and I couldn't bear the thought of you not wanting to be around me." Nico heard this and thought that maybe he had underestimated their friendship, maybe Percy was a better best friend than he thought.

"Why?" Nico muttered to the boy next him. Percy opened his mouth and closed it again, then shook his head. "What is it, Percy?" Nico asked. Now it was his turn to be impatient.

"What is it? Nico, I should be asking you what the problem is! As a matter fact I already asked you!" Percy said suddenly getting irritated. What Nico didn't know was that Percy's sudden change in tone was due to the fact that Percy no longer wanted to beat around the bush. He wanted to know what was wrong with his friend, his crush, his Nico and why he was acting so strange towards him. Percy loved Nico and this sudden cold shoulder was too much to bear without an explanation. Nico saw Percy's eyes change from anger to something different. The eyes Nico loved so much became a dam threatening to overflow. Nico suddenly got very worried and touched Percy's arm and asked him what was wrong. Usually Nico was the emotional one, not Percy. Percy was his rock, his anchor.

"Nico, I just want an answer." Percy stated with as much strength as possible for someone whose voice was threatening to crack. Nico looked at the boy that put the sun to shame next to him, nodded, and took another deep breath and uttered the words he never thought he would out loud to the boy next to him with the dark hair, ocean eyes, and blinding smile.

"Percy, I love you," Nico glanced at said boy to see his reaction and continued, "I mean I'm in love with you and yesterday something happened that I was sure that you heard about or would hear about, so when you found me here yesterday and acted awkward…well I figured you'd heard and didn't like what they said." Nico looked down and with a swift move Percy grasped hold of one of Nico's hands.

"I didn't hear anything, Nico. As soon as I heard people whispering around camp I asked Annabeth what was up with everyone and she told me to look for you here, so I did." Percy replied calmly with a sudden change in mood. Nico looked at Percy with wide eyes. Percy laughed and continued, "Nico, I love you too and I have for quite a while." He scooted closer to Nico and put his free hand on the side of Nico's face and once again smiled. Percy leaned in and connected his lips to Nico's in their very first kiss. Nico was shocked at first and didn't respond to the kiss, although as soon as the shock wore off Nico deepened the kiss and that's how they stayed until they had to come up for air. Nico smiled one of his rare true smiles and leaned in again for another kiss from Percy just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Percy pulled back and laughed. "If that was what I was missing for the past months then I regret my life," the boy said. Nico chuckled and retorted with a sarcastic tone, "Months? Percy, you could have had this years ago." Percy's face grew serious. "Years?" Percy asked in disbelief. Nico nodded, once again. Nico had loved Percy for years now. Since he had helped Percy escape from the Underworld. Percy leaned in for another kiss and said chuckling, "Well if I'm ever that oblivious again make sure you tell me." He stood up and stretched out his arm for Nico to take. Once they were both up Percy took Nico's hand and they began their walk back to camp.

Nico stopped right before they were going to exit the forest and enter the camp grounds. He was so very nervous. What if everyone gave Percy and him horrid stares? Yes, Nico was used to it as no one in camp really thought much of him and seemed to always be afraid of him, but Percy was the big hero. Surely everyone would think that Nico corrupted Percy to this, because there was no way that their beloved hero would be gay. Percy being able to read the anxiety on Nico's face with his furrowed eyebrows and such squeezed said boy's hand. Nico snapped out of his worrying and voiced his thoughts. "Percy, what if they don't like you anymore? What if they say that this, you being gay, is all my fault?" Nico said with no intention of hiding his worry and insecurities.

"Well, if they don't like me anymore because of you, us, then they don't really matter." Percy replied without even a second of hesitation. Percy didn't like to think that anyone would treat them differently because of their newfound relationship, so right now the benefit of the doubt was on them. Percy kissed Nico and pulled him out of the forest and to the dining pavilion since it was lunch and Percy, being the teenage boy he was, was starved.

He made Nico get in line with him to receive their lunch after a small cry of protest from Nico saying that he just wanted to go to his cabin and sleep. Percy didn't see why all of a sudden Nico was getting all sorts of fidgety and didn't meet eye contact with anyone. Percy had let go of Nico's hand once they got into camp, in order to greet people properly, but now he wish he hadn't. He didn't know how to initiate the holding of hands with Nico in public. Would Nico even like public displays of affection? He never seemed to be the type of guy that people could just hug, much less hold hands.

Nico felt kind of hurt that Percy had dropped his hand as soon as they stepped out of the forest. Yes, Nico knew that Percy was ever the social butterfly and craved interaction from his peers, but he'd rather hoped that they could walk as a couple to eat lunch, just to get everything out in the clear and to know that Percy just wasn't messing around with his mind about this couple thing. Nico wanted to know that this was a real confession of love from Percy and not some twisted joke. Nico knew people were afraid of him and distanced themselves, but that didn't mean that his few friends couldn't hug him and Percy kept staring at him as if Nico was this ridiculously hard puzzle and couldn't figure out what his next move was.

_Just hold my hand, seaweed brain_. Yes, in Nico's mind he used Annabeth's insult/pet name for Percy. He'd honestly felt rather creepy about it until today, but now that they were in the camp again Nico felt the name feel foreign and unbelonging, as if he was an intruder on an event that someone cherished very much and didn't want contaminated with anything other with what they themselves had or would put there.


	4. What she wants, she gets

**Hey guys thanks so much for loving this story. I am sorry that I haven't updated, but I recently went somewhere with no wifi until today. Woot. Anyways, I know this is short, but I WILL update asap with a LONG update. This is just so you guys know that I really appreciate you guys. Okay then thanks and happy reading. Once again, Percy and Nico are not my characters, but I wish they were. If there are typos please forgive me I tried to catch them all.**

* * *

Nico looked at Percy from across his table to see the other boy eating his sandwich alone at his own table. Nico couldn't help but watch the way Percy's mouth seemed to smile even while eating. Percy looked up from his food and found Nico's eyes watching him and smiled, blushing slightly, embarrassed that the boy was watching him. Nico smirked and drew his eyes to his own plate of nourishment that he had hardly touched. It seemed rather wrong that he and Percy had to sit across from each other at different table, alone, because of the stupid camp rule, but it was a rule and of course it had to be followed. Nico began pushing around his food on his plate with slender, long fingers wishing that he and Percy could eat together, so they could talk about this morning in the forest.

Nico was so preoccupied with his thoughts and inner grumblings that he didn't notice when a certain dark haired boy made his way behind him and wrapped his two long and skinny, yet athletic arms around his waist. Nico jumped up slightly, but instantly knew that it was Percy. He smelled like the wonderful scent of the sea and sunshine. Nico didn't even know that he knew what sunshine smelt like until he had thought it. Nico smiled and laughed, he didn't remember the last time he felt this happy. Percy swung one leg over the bench, arms never leaving Nico, he smiled and pressed his lips to Nico's cheek. Nico blushed deeply and leaned away from Percy.

"Perce, what are you doing?" Nico whispered. He felt the eyes of everyone in the pavilion on them. Percy smiled and replied, "Kissing my boyfriend." Nico's eyes widened. Boyfriend? Is that what they were now? "That is what we are, right?" Percy continued with less confidence and a worried look in his deep sea blue eyes. Nico nodded, once again at loss for words. He leaned back into Percy's embrace and barely whispered, "Just don't let me down."

Percy almost didn't hear the smaller boy, but he did and sighed kissing the boy on his temple. _I don't plan to_. By this time even Percy could feel the eyes of campers all around him. He looked up from his embrace with Nico and met the eye's of his fellow campers. He saw Annabeth's would seemed to have a tear in her eye, but a smile on her face. She nodded and told the rest of her table to clean up and get back to their activities. The rest of the cabin leaders followed the lead and didn't say anything. Percy and Nico got up from the table to find something to do, but before they could Chiron came clip clopping towards them.

"Perseus. Nico." The centaur nodded to each said boy. The boys greeted him in return with joined hands. Chiron smiled his ancient, knowing smile and congratulated them on finally finding what everyone knew was inevitable. Nico chuckled wondering if he was that painfully obvious. Percy didn't understand how everyone seemed to already know what was going on before he did. Before he could stop himself he turned to Nico and asked, "Why did you run away from me in the first place?"

At this point Chiron gave a throaty laugh and trotted away, still laughing to himself. Percy looked at Nico still thoroughly confused. "What?" Percy questioned, his eyebrows furrowing. Nico blushed a deep scarlet and shook his head. Percy looked at Nico with puppy dog eyes and, of course, Nico told him his story. When he was done Percy laughed a sound that made Nico's heart jump from happiness and kissed him full on the lips again.

"You know, I could help you out with that dream, right?" Percy whispered in Nico's ear and kissed it. Chuckling when Nico shivered at the thought and pushed Percy away while saying, "I'm not an easy little whore, Percy" and with that he walked away knowing that Percy would follow.

Whilst being so engrossed with eachother's presence they didn't notice the daughter of Aphrodite, Sharron, and her mother were standing behind a tree. "Yes, mom. I know what I have to do." The girl looked at her mother hoping to make her proud. She tossed her long red hair over her shoulder and used her mother's gift of transformation to become a tall, slender, boy with green eyes and red hair that looked like flames in the sunlight. Whatever her, his, mother wanted, she was going to get.


	5. Blush, blushing

**Hey guys, I've worked on this for a few hours now and here we are. I had a blockage of ideas because I had no intention of doing harm to Nico and Percy, but then there would be no plot would there? Eh, so don't hate me after this chapter and I wish I could tell you what the plans are and what not, but then you wouldn't come back to read. Hah. Well here we go, and excuse my typos. Enjoy! Much love, $. xxxx**

* * *

Sharron was never a girl who wanted to please anyone. People always wanted to please her. She was always told she was beautiful and she always got what she wanted. She knew it was because of her looks that people usually fell for her whim's, but with looks like these who needed much else? Yes, although this was so, she was smart enough to take matters into her own hands if mere looks failed and she reveled in challenges that made her use brains and beauty, so this plan that her dear mother, Aphrodite, wanted to be executed was going to be much fun for Sharron. Although, she wished she could be a girl while doing so.

Sharron looked in the full length mirror and frowned. The reflection in front of her was not ugly, but it wasn't her. It was the disguise that her mother insisted must be worn in order for their plan to work. She supposed it was time to put the plan into action before her mother got impatient and turned her full blown goddess wrath to her daughter. Sharron ran a hand through the shaggy red hair of her disguise and put on her most confident smile. Being a gay boy would be no problem, hopefully.

She walked through the glorious camp looking for the one named Nico di Angelo. She walked past the strawberry fields that were giving of such a beautiful, yet not, scent. She looked at the campers milling around preparing to fight or do whatever activity that they were supposed to go to. She was so busy looking at all the campers, landscape, and for Nico that she didn't notice said boy passing in front of her. She walked right into him with a loud thud. "Hey, watch out!" Nico shouted not angry just annoyed. "S-sorry." Sharron murmured not looking at the boy she ran into wondering if everyone was this rude to strangers. If so, she was in trouble.

Nico looked at the boy in front of him with worried eyes. He hadn't even looked at him as he apologized, but Nico sure looked and Holy Zeus, it was like someone had read his mind about his ideal boy, well besides Percy, and planted him smack dab in front of him. "My names Nico. I don't believe we've met." Nico said cautiously extending his hand to the boy with the flaming red hair. The boy had on a purple hoodie, blue jeans, black converse. Nico found it odd that the boy had a hoodie on considering that it wasn't cold, but who was he to judge? He was the one that insisted on wearing a bomber jacket no matter what season it was. Said jacket wasn't on him at the moment, though. Nico smiled at the thought of where exactly his jacket was.

The boy's head whipped around at the sound of Nico's name. "H-hello. My name is Sh-, um I mean, my name's James." Nico's eyebrow raised as he met green eyes, but he chuckled. "Do you often forget your name, James?" The boy stood up taller and smirked. "You just caught me off guard. I was looking for someone." Nico laughed at the sudden change in persona of the red head. "Oh? Who?" Nico inquired, curious. James looked at Nico and put his hands in his pockets and said, "It doesn't matter. I found someone better." Nico blushed and hit the boy in his arm. "Whoa, there. You don't even know me." James raised an eyebrow in turn, "Is that an invitation?" Nico blushed deeper not knowing what was getting into him.

From a little way off Percy was looking for Nico. He had woken up with his arms in a snug jacket, but no boyfriend. He smiled at the memory of the jacket, but that smile quickly faded as he spotted Nico with some boy. His Nico was talking to some lanky red head and laughing. Truly laughing. Nico doesn't really laugh, laugh often. Percy stared with wide eyes as Nico laughed a second time and pushed the boy with blush on his face. Who the hell was this kid? And why the hell was Nico blushing? Percy strode over to where his boyfriend was still blushing at the boy. Percy pulled Nico into a bear hug and kissed him straight on the lips. The red head didn't seem surprised and merely smirked and nodded to Nico then walked off.

"Aw, Perce. You embarrassed the boy." Nico said frowning. The boy, James, was one of the few people that had actually had a semi decent conversation with him without being uncomfortable. He even had the nerve to flirt with him! Nobody ever flirted with him. Percy frowned back and asked interrupting Nico's thoughts, "What were you guys talking about? Was it important? I've never seen him before." Nico met Percy's eyes and saw a glint of jealousy and chuckled, again. "Perseus Jackson, are you jealous of a stranger?" Percy pulled away from Nico with mock hurt on his face. "Me? Jealous? You wish." Percy crossed his arms in front of his chest and turned away. Nico just shook his head and grabbed Percy's hand to go get some food. His head felt sort of fuzzy and food usually made he and Percy feel better.

–––––––––––––––

"Did you meet the boy yet?" Aphrodite asked her daughter through an iris message. "Yes mother, I have," Sharron replied curtly. Aphrodite impatiently motioned for her daughter to continue her report. "I met and talked to him until Percy came and engulfed him in a public display of affection. So I left." Aphrodite puckered her lips and sighed, "Did you use the charm on him?" Sharron nodded her head. "Well good. Now he's going to seek after you and not the other way around." Aphrodite continued, smiling, and swiped through the call ending it abruptly. Sharron stood there for a second longer in shock of such rude behavior. Her mother knew what she was doing Sharron told herself. Percy and Nico weren't really in love or else she wouldn't be toying with them her mother had said, but Sharron wasn't to sure about that theory anymore. The way Nico's eyes lit up for Percy had to be love. What else could it be? But Aphrodite was the goddess of love…certainly she knew what she was doing. Sharron sighed and laid in her bunk of her cabin. Well not her cabin, but the cabin of Hermes seeing as "James" hadn't been claimed, yet.


	6. The set up

**Hey, lovelies! :) I am so very sorry that it has been awhile. I did not have internet for a while. Then I started marching season and my senior year of high school and we'll just leave it at...these are stressful times. At school we had an assignment on Hamlet and I chose to write a fan fiction on Hamlet, and I remembered I had not finished this story. I will try my absolute hardest to update as much as possible! It seems possible now that I am done with marching season, college application season, and musical season. I hope you guys do not terribly hate me on the plot twist, and I know that this story may seem a little awkward now that Rick has made Mark of Athena so...heartbreaking. On that note, I own no characters, except James, and as much as I wish Nico was mine, sadly, he is not. I have not beta reader, so excuse the typos. I feel like I'm sitting here playing Aphrodite. Love you guys and I hope to hear from you all. 3 - S.**

* * *

Aphrodite was pacing the room while staring back at her reflection from the mirror in front of her. Her hair shimmered from light to dark, straight to curly, and long to short. She was planning, but this planning was hard to do. What could she do to test her daughter and Percy and Nico? It would seem as if she was doing a bad thing, but she wasn't. There was nothing wrong with her plan. In the end they would thank her. She had told Percy Jackson all those years ago by her husband's junkyard in that dark limo that she would not make this easy on him, that his love life would be filled with anguish and many, many hard decisions. Now that Percy had actually found the person that he was meant to be with and not that daughter of Athena, Aphrodite was restless. The Great Hero couldn't already have a happy ending, it was too easy. He was supposed to be the story to last ages, the story that would thrill her children and the world long after it was over, like Helen of Troy, but bigger and maybe more dramatic. It wasn't that she didn't believe in Percy's love and she really didn't want to make Nico's life any harder than it already was, but what was the point of love if there were no giant obstacles in the way? Oh yes, this may seem petty, but she was Aphrodite, love was her passion and her responsibility to test.

Nico woke up in Percy's cabin again. He sighed when he looked at the mess around him, but that sigh soon turned to a chuckle when he found Percy on the floor with his mouth slightly open and a bag of Cheetos in his lap along with an Xbox control. Nico grabbed the bag and control and put everything up. He walked over to Percy and pushed his mouth together, then leaned down and kissed him. He straightened up and put Percy's blue blanket on top of him. It had a giant hole in it, which Nico made note of. He stood by the fountain of sea water in the corner of the cabin and listened to the water. Nico stretched and walked out of the cabin. He'd meet up with Percy at lunch.

Nico walked to the pier of the beach of Camp Half Blood and watched the landscape unfold around him. He never thought this day would come where he would wake up and be able to call Percy Jackson his. He thought of the night before and basked in the fact that nothing was awkward between them, that they played video games, watched movies, and did normal best friend activities with the occasional kiss in between activities, or the more the occasional kiss. Nico smirked on how each time he would kiss Percy said boy's breath would seem to hitch and he could feel his life aura burn just a bit stronger. Nico leaned back on the pier and stared up at the sky crossing his arms under his head for support. He felt someone come lay next to him. Nico rolled his head over in anticipation and saw James imitating his position. Nico cleared his throat, "Are you following me?" He half joked.

James laughed and replied, "On the contrary I would say that you were following me," Nico raised an eyebrow. "I was here first, Nico." Nico finally realized that James' hair was wet and so were his swim trunks. Nico masked the blush threatening to creep onto his face by getting up abruptly. "I wasn't following you. I just got up and felt the need to come to the pier this morning." Nico replied curtly. James got up and put his hand on Nico's shoulder and flashed him a charming smile. "Whatever you say, Neeks," and with that James dove in the water and Nico found himself unwillingly staring at the boy as he surfaced from the water and swam around. He wasn't as graceful in the water as Percy was, but then again no one could be as graceful in the water as Percy.

He stared at the boy's hair as the sun hit his red hair. "You like what you see?" James called out, laughing, "You gonna stand there and stare or are you gonna come in for a swim?" Nico was going to complain about getting wet, but he realized that he already was. Why hadn't he felt the water seeping onto his clothes when James had laid next to him? His head felt fuzzy, so he agreed to the swim and peeled off his shirt and jeans and joined the red headed teen.

At the top of the hill stood a lone figure watching the scene unfold in front of him. Usually he wasn't one of jealousy, but something just did not feel right about that James boy and while he told himself that it was nothing he couldn't shake the bad feeling creeping up his spine as Nico took off his clothes and followed the red haired devil into the sea with nothing but his underwear on and a smile.


End file.
